Other Things to Know

First Aid

We hope your visit is trouble-free, but if you find yourself in need of basic first aid, please visit the Zoo Gift Shop or Zoo Administration office for assistance. An AED is located in the Zoo Gift Shop.

For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

Lost Children

Should you become separated from a child, please report it to the nearest Zoo staff member. The Zoo has a Lost Child protocol that aims to reunite you with your child in the shortest time possible. Parents will be asked to wait in a designated location to expedite the reunion.

Lost children will be taken to the Zoo Administration Office or Gift Shop, and attended by Zoo or Parks Security staff until parents can be located.

Weather Considerations

Columbian Park Zoo is primarily an outdoor facility. The Zoo is open rain or shine, but there are limited indoor areas to escape unpleasant weather. In the event of severe weather (indicated by severe weather sirens), please seek emergency shelter in the Zoo Gift Shop, Zoo Administrative Office or DeFouw Education Center immediately.

Restrooms, Baby Changing Stations, and Drinking Fountains

Public restrooms and drinking fountains are located outside the Zoo Gift Shop building, near the entrance to the Wallaby Walkabout. Additional restroom facilities are located just outside the Zoo entrance gate on the exterior of the Gift Shop building.
Visitors to the DeFouw Education Center may utilize public restrooms located in the lobby.
All public restrooms on Zoo grounds have baby changing stations.

Lost & Found

The Zoo maintains a Lost & Found. Please contact the Zoo Administration office at 765-807-1540 to inquire about lost items. Found items may be given to any Zoo staff member. Lost & Found items are kept for a limited time before disposal.

Please be aware that the Lafayette Parks and Recreation office maintains a Lost & Found for items found in Columbian Park (outside of the Zoo) or on any other Parks property. To inquire there, call 765-807-1500.

Animal Viewing

Can’t see an animal in its habitat? It may not want you to. Many animals have indoor and outdoor access during normal zoo hours and may choose to rest out of public view. In addition, we consider the privacy needs of our animals and provide hiding spots and shaded rest places in exhibit design. Please respect our animals by allowing them to rest undisturbed. Morning and evening tend to be the most active times for many animals, when temperatures are cooler. For prime animal viewing, we recommend visiting early in the day.
Some Zoo exhibit areas are open seasonally, such as the Butterfly Garden Party (Memorial Day - Labor Day)

Although it is our intent to provide the full Columbian Park Zoo experience every day, the Zoo reserves the right to close exhibit areas or restrict access as necessary to safeguard the health and well-being of our animal friends and to ensure patron safety. Thank you for your understanding.

Field Trip Season

Field trip season is late April through early June. Visitors can anticipate larger than average crowds during school hours. To enjoy a quieter experience, plan your visit for mid-afternoons on weekdays.

If you are a teacher interested in field trip opportunities, please visit our Schools on Safari section for more information.

Construction Updates

As Columbian Park Zoo continues to grow, you can expect construction projects around Zoo grounds. When we anticipate construction may impact the visitor experience, we will post notices here. Visitors should not attempt to cross construction barriers and should closely monitor children when near construction sites.